Wednesday, Novbember 19, 2008 

Editorial 

Our view: Partnerships help keep history alive.
 
The Essex National Heritage Area (ENHA) in general, and the Salem Maritime National Historic Site in particular, are shining examples of what the public and private sectors can accomplish working together. 

The Friendship, which has become as much a symbol of the National Park Service presence in Salem as the historic Custom House, would not have been built without the infusion of cash provided by local banks and other businesses at the urging of The Salem Partnership. More recently, a major contribution from Saugusbank helped fund the restoration of the historic Saugus Iron Works.

The partnerships that have been forged among cities and towns, local cultural organizations and historical societies, and businesses here in the northeastern corner of the state, made the Essex National Heritage Area one of five destinations for the national commission planning the 2016 centennial celebration of the National Park Service. 

According to a release, ENHA, along with the Lowell National Historical Park, "were chosen as outstanding models of the new types of partnership parks that rely on local participation and civic engagement to assist the National Park Service in its mission."

Maintaining the ENHA's mission is not easy, however, and the agency recently suffered a significant blow when the state rescinded an appropriation of $93,750 as part of Gov. Deval Patrick's budget-cutting plan. It's now trying to make up the lost funds through an appeal to its business partners north of Boston.

We know money is tight everywhere, but there's no question ENHA plays an important role in maintaining the unique quality of life in this uniquely beautiful and historic region.